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Kathy Carlsted is this season’s Royal Lady of the Village-- an honor that’s bestowed on one special person as a focal point of the Taylors Falls Lighting Festival.  But Taylors Falls isn’t the only place to benefit from her energies, and you’ve probably seen Carlsted at far flung sites doing her volunteer thing.  

Hers is a familiar face at The Threshing Show, the one-room Pioneer School and the Almelund Apple Festival, as well as in Taylors Falls, where she frequently serves as part teacher, part historian.  She explains that she began volunteering with her husband Bruce, simply to share their love of antique tools.  The first foray was over 15 years ago at a fall harvest fest that their church, First Lutheran in Taylors Falls, put on.  
“Bruce has all the ideas,” she continued, “I don’t know if I would have done any of this without him.”  

This consists of providing hundreds of hours of presenting primitive and historic tool skills on antique items the Carlsteds have accumulated over the years.  
“Anything that cranks,” is how Kathy describes their collection.  

They demonstrate to youngsters the tools’ uses  and generally some product will be made...for instance, during the threshing show at “Carlsted’s Corner” it might be a kid-sized hand-scraped walking stick.  At Almelund’s apple fest youngsters might twist lengths of twine to make a  rope, or wash clothes with a ringer or use a hand-baler.  One of Kathy’s favorite activities with the kids is glue-making. “You give them a turn at a hand-beater in soapy water and add flour...it’s pretty fun to watch.”

Royal Lady was announced by the committee behind the Taylors Falls celebration, and the Lady’s first duty (aside from this interview) is leading the evening parade on mainstreet.  

Lighting Festival Committee member Julie Hildebrand remarked over cookies and coffee that the nominations submitted supporting Kathy were beautiful and heartfelt.  Committee member Barb Young, stated  that Kathy is just one of those reliable and creative volunteers that you can always count on.  Young is amazed how Kathy was able to volunteer as much as she did, while raising two kids and working at Twin Cities nursing homes in physical therapy.  Bruce and Kathy have officially retired, but Bruce runs a cooperative woodshop at their property just west of Taylors Falls on Lawrence Creek Road.  He teaches woodworking skills in a well-outfitted shop and you can find details on CraigsList under the Tools category.

Young points out that the town is “...very fortunate to have Kathy and Bruce...and their work with the kids ties into our Lighting Festival theme of a Journey of Learning, recognizing the Taylors Falls’ School this year.”

The collectible Lighting Festival ornament features a black and white photo taken of horse drawn “buses” on a white-coated metal plate.  Ornaments are available anywhere downtown or see the festival website.  The sale of custom Lighting Festival ornaments began with a bear theme in 1985, so this is a milestone 30th edition.

Carlsted’s reign as Royal Lady is punctuated tomorrow (Friday Nov 27) by leading an illuminated parade on mainstreet about 6 p.m.  

The Taylors Falls Historical Society holds a fundraiser rummage sale at the history center (lower level of the old depot) Saturday, November 28, from 10 to 3 p.m. You’ll likely find Kathy helping out at this, as the historical society is another one of her volunteer causes.

Kathy and Bruce would normally be seen in the Lighting Festival parade costumed as “Ole and Lena.”

Kathy thinks her daughter Anika, who lives near Stillwater,  has an idea for how to fill  the vacant spot where Lena will be missing this week.  Be on the lookout for Dala Yule Bucks, a rare species thought to resemble goats.  Kathy and Bruce’s second child, Kristofer, now works and lives in Colorado.

And, yes, they both know all about tools.

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